Method and machine for mining with relatively shiftable pairs of obtuse angled drum cutters



3,341,254 SHIFTABLE C. J. ARNDT R MINING WITH RELATIVELY sept. 12, 1967 METHOD AND MACHINE FO PAIHS OF OBTUSE ANGLED DRUM CUTTERS Filed May 28, 1965 INVENTOR Charles J. Arndt United States Patent Oiiiice METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MINING WITH RELATIVELY SHIFTABLE PAIRS F OBTUSE ANGLED DRUM CUTTERS Charles J. Arndt, Harvey, Ill., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 28, 1965, Ser. No. 459,636 5 Claims. (Cl. 299-18) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A continuous mining machine of the generally ripper type having two ripper cutters mounted on the ends of boom arms, mounted on the machine frame for vertical and lateral feeding movement. A ripper cutter head extends from each side of an associated boom arm. The ripper cutter heads are rotatably mounted on the boom arms on horizontal axes extending at obtuse angles with respect to each other and intersecting at the longitudinal center 0f the boom arm. The ripper cutter heads on each boom arm are also rotatably driven by power in opposite directions.

Summary of the invention Mining apparatus and system of continuous mining the Working place of a mine having two sets of laterally and vertically movable ripper cutters. The ripper cutters of each set of cutters are rotatably driven in opposite directions and are arranged at obtuse angles with respect to each other in such relation as to position the circumferential face of one ripper cutter perpendicular to the rib of the working place with the end face of the ripper cutter parallel to the rib of the working place, in one extreme position of lateral feeding movement of the ripper cutter and to position the two inner ripper cutters with their end faces parallel to each other in an opposite position of feeding movement of the ripper cutters. The mining operation may be carried out by making two simultaneous ripper cuts along one horizontal extremity of the working face and continuing the ripper cutting operation from the first horizontal extremity to a second horizontal extremity of the working face, and then feeding the sets of ripper cutters toward the ribs of the working place and continuing the ripping cutting operations along the ribs of the working place from the iirst horizontal extremity to the second horizontal extremity of the working place, and then advancing the sets of ripper cutters toward eachother at the second ho izontal extremity of the working place.

This invention relates to improvements in continuous mining machines and more particularly relates to an improved form of continuous mining machine of the general ripper type.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an improved form of continuous mining machine having two ripper cutters mounted on the ends of boom arms for vertical and lateral feeding movement in which the ripper cutters on each boom arm are so constructed and arranged as to minimize the core -between thecutters.

A further object of the invention is to provide an mproved form of continuous mining machine of the general ripper type having a vertically and laterally movable ripper cutter in the form of two drum type cutter heads on opposite sides `of the support therefor and rotatable about intersecting axes arranged at obtuse angles with respect to each other in plan, positioning the outer cutter to cut parallel to the side wall during a vertical ripper cutting operation.

Still another object of the invention is to improve upon the ripper type mining machines heretofore in use by providing a ripper cutter in the form of two mining heads rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the support therefor, in which the axes of the cutter heads intersect in plan and are disposed at obtuse angles with respect to each other to so arrange the cutter heads that the outer cutter head will always cut parallel to the rib of the working place when the boom is in its outermost extended position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an irnproved form of continuous mining machine in which the mining heads are in the form of ripper cutters supported on boom arms for rotation about axes extending generally transversely of the boom arms, and fed by said boom arms vertically and laterally of the working face of the mine, in which the ripper cutters on each boom arm are in the form of two mining heads on opposite sides of the boom arm and rotatable about horizontal transverse axes intersecting at the boom arm anddisposed at obtuse angles with respect to each other, and supported by the boom arms to position the outer ripper cutters to cut perpendicular to and along the ribs of the working place, when the boom arms are in their outermost positions, and to position the ends of inner ripper cutters parallel with respect to each other to mine perpendicular to the ribs of the working place when the boom arms are in their innermost positions.

A further `object of the invention is to provide an improved system for continuously mining coal and the like utilizing a plurality -of independent rotating and laterally and vertically moving mining heads and arranged to minimize the cusps between the mining heads.

Still another object of the invention is to provide la novel and improved system for continuously mining coal and the like, utilizing two laterally spaced ripper cutters, each of which includes a pair of mining heads rotatable about horizontal axes disposed at obtuse angles with respect to each other, in which the mining operation is attained by moving the cutters together with the inner mining heads extending parallel with respect to each other, and feeding the mining heads into the Working face and then feeding the mining heads vertically from lthe floor to the roof of the mine, and laterally along the roof to deiine a generally horizontal roof line and then downwardly along the working face while the mining heads rotate in the same direction as during upward feeding movement thereof, to cut parallel ribs from the iioor to the roof of the face.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a generally diagrammatic fragmentary top plan view of the forward end portion of a continuous mining machine constructed in accordance with the prin-v ciples of the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view, diagrammatically showing the steps and positions of the mining heads of the machine and the continuous mining of a working face of a mine.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawings, I have generally shown a continuous mining machine 10 of the ripper type having two pairs of mining heads 11, 11 mounted on the outer ends of and on opposite sides of individual boom arms 12, 12 extending in advance of a main frame 13 of the machine. The boom arms 12, 12 are' mounted on a boom 15 for vertical feeding movement about an axis extending transversely of said main frame, and for lateral feeding movement about parallel axes extending perpendicular to said transverse axis.

The main frame 13 is mounted on the usual laterally spaced continuous traction tread devices (not shown) for mine and completely mine out a working propelling the machine along the ground from working place to working place at a high traveling speed and for advancing the machine toward a working face of a mine at a relatively low feeding speed, to feed or sump the mining heads 11, 11 into the working face, which in the form of the invention shown, may be along the oor. A conveyor 16 extends along the machine from a position adjacent the ground in advance of the forward end of the main frame 13, in an upwardly inclined direction over the top of said main frame beyond the rear end thereof, to discharge the mined material onto shuttle cars or other material transporting means. The conveyor 16 is shown as being a conventional form of laterally exible conveyor and is no part of the present invention so need not herein be shown or described further.

The boom 15 is shown as being in the form of a plate 17 extending in advance of the main frame 13 to a position closely adjacent the working face of the mine, and forms a support for the boom arms 12, 12, supporting said boom arms for movement toward and from each other and for vertical movement, to feed the mining heads 11, 11 from the floor to the roof and roof to floor of the mine. The plate 17 has parallel spaced arms 19, 19 extending rearwardly therefrom along the outer sides of the conveyor 16 and transversely pivoted to supports 20, 20, extending upwardly of the main frame 13, on transverse pivot pins 21, 21. The boom 15 is vertically moved to feed the mining heads 11, 11 from the roof to the door and from the iioor to the roof of the mine by a pair of laterally spaced elevating jacks 23, 23 interposed between the main frame 13 and the bottom of the plate 17 and having the usual piston rods (not shown) extensible therefrom to vertically feed the mining heads 11, 11 in a conventional manner.

The boom arms 12, 12, are suitably supported on the underside of the plate 17 for lateral angular movement about shaft-s 24, 24, perpendicular to the plane of the plate 17, and have gibs 25 at the forward end portion of the plate 17 and lapping arcuate guides 26, 26 formed on the top forward surface of the plate 17, and shown as being recessed therein.

Each boom arm 12 forms a housing for drive gearing for driving the cutter heads 11, 11, and a support for said cutter heads on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line thereof. As generally shown in FIGURE 1, a motor 29 is mounted on the outside of each arm 19 for angular movement therewith and has a housing 30 on the forward end thereof, housing the usual reduction gearing and mounted directly on and forming a continuation of the end of the casing for the motor 29. A bevel pinion 31 driven from the motor 29 through the reduction gearing (not shown) in the housing 30 drives a longitudinal drive shaft 32 for the two cutter drums 11, 11 through a bevel gear drive train 33, arranged in a conventional manner, to effect a drive from the bevel pinion 31 to the shaft 32, as the shaft 32 and boom arm 12 are moved about the axis of the shaft 24, when feeding the mining head in a lateral sidewise direction. A bevel pinion 34 on the outer, end of the shaft 32 drives the outer and inner mining heads 11, 11 in opposite directions.

Each boom arm 12 has a support housing 35 extending forwardly therefrom and forming a bearing support means for the forward end of the drive shaft 32 and a housing for the bevel pinion 34 and bevel gears (not shown) driven thereby for rotatably driving the two mining heads 11, 11 in opposite directions. As shown in FIGURE 1, the housing 35 has opposed plane surfaces 36, 36 extending in generally vertical directions and converging toward the extended centerline of the drive shaft 32, when looking at the mining heads in plan, to position one mining head 11 to mine perpendicularly to the rib of the working place, and to position the outer end of said mining head to cut along the rib of the working place, to make a parallel side wall during the mining operation. When the boom arm 12 is in its innermost position the inner mining head 11 will be positioned to mine parallel to .the working face and parallel to the end of the next adJacent inner mining head 11, to minimize or substantially eliminate the cores between the mining heads at the center of the working place.

The mining heads 11 are conventional drum types of mining heads, and as shown in FIGURE 1 include cylindrical drums 39 suitably supported in the support housing 35, with the inner ends thereof extending along the faces 36, 36 thereof, and driven from conventional bevel gearing, housed and journalled in the housing 35, and no part of the present invention so not herein shown or described further.

The drums 39, 39 have rows of cutter support rlngs 40, 40 extending thereabout having cutter blocks 41, 41 extending radially outwardly therefrom. The blocks 41, 41 are inclined at angles with respect to the planes of said rings 40, to position cutter bits 43 carried thereby to cut clearance for the support rings, and to position the end cutter bits to cut along the rib of the mine, and to also cut as the mining heads a-re fed inwardly toward each other and outwardly away from each other. The cutter bits 43 on the outer mining head are pitched oppositely from the cutter bits on the inner mining head to enable the mining heads to cut while rotating in opposite directions.

The boom arms 12, 12 and mining heads 11, 11 are fed inwardly toward each other and outwardly with respect to each other by hydraulic cylinders 44, 44 having piston rods 45, 45 extending outwardly therefrom. As shown in FIGURE 1, the hydraulic cylinders 44, 44 are pivoted beneath a central support portion 47 of the plate 17 on pivot pines 48, 48 and extend from said central support portion along recessed portions 49, 49 at the front end of the plate 17, and opening toward the forward end thereof. The piston rods 45 are connected to connecting ears 50, 50 extending inwardly from the boom arms 12, on pivot pins 51, 51 extending perpendicular to the plane of the boom or plate 17. Fluid under presure may be admitted to the head and piston rod ends of the cylinders 44, 44 under the control of suitable valve means (not shown) in a conventional manner, to feed the mining heads 11, 11 inwardly toward each other and outwardly away from each other, to effect a mining operation in each direction of lateral movement of said mining heads.

The cutter bits 43 on the outer mining heads 11 are set to cut as the mining heads rotate in a counterclockwise direction, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 and normally cut as the mining heads are fed from the oor to the roof of the mine. The cutter bits 43 on the inner mining heads 11 are set to cut as the mining heads rotate in a clockwise direction as the mining heads are fed from the floor to the roof of the rmine. In order that the relative linear speeds -of the cutter bits 43 on the inner and outer mining heads will be sufficient to enable the cutter bits to cut as the mining heads are fed downwardly toward the ground, when rotating in the same directions as when the mining heads are fed upwardly towards the roof, the speed of rotation of the mining heads is increased a substantial amount over normal cutting speeds. The linear speed Aof the cutter bits at their tips may be one thousand feet per minute, while the normal cutting speed of the cutter bits is usually from three hundred to four hundred feet per minute. The increased linear cutting speed during both upward and downward feeding movement of the mining heads maintains a relative linear cutting speed of the bits during each direction of feeding movement of the mining heads, which effects the efficient cutting of the coal as the mining heads are fed upwardly and downwardly, in a manner similar to that shown and described in an application Ser. No. 330,867 filed by .lohn S. Newton on December 16, 1963, entitled Ripper Mining System and now abandoned.

In carrying out an operation of mining, as diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the boom 15 and boom arms 12, 12 may be lowered t-o position the mining heads 11, 11 along the mine door. In this position of the boom and boom arms, fluid under pressure may be admitted to the piston rod ends of the cylinders 44, 44, to position the two mining heads in relatively close side-by-side relation with respect to each other as illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. The mining heads may then be held in this inward position by the cylinder 44, 44, during an operation of mining from `the door to roof of the mine. When the mining heads 11, 11 are positioned along the ground, with the inner mining heads adjacent each other at the center of the workingl place, the mining heads may be rotatably driven by the individual motors 29, 29 with the mining heads on each side of the respective boom arm rotating in opposite directions. The entire machine may then be advanced toward the working face to sump the mining heads into the working face along the ground. As the mining heads are advanced into the working face to the required depth of cut, uid under pressure may be admitted to the elevating jacks 23, 23 to feed the mining heads vertically from position 1 in FIGURE 2 upwardly to the roof of the mine. Fluid under pressure may then be admitted to t-he head ends of the cylinders 44, 44, to extensibly move the piston rods 45, 45 and advance the rotating mining heads toward each rib of the working place along the roof of the mine as indicated by steps 2 in FIGURE 2.

The mining heads may then be fed downwardly while still rotating in the same direction as during upward feeding movement thereof, by the admission of fluid under pressure to the elevating jacks 23 to positively lower the mining heads by power along the ribs to positions along the mine floor as indicated by steps 3 in FIGURE 2.

As the mining heads reach the iloor, they may then be moved inwardly along -the floor toward each other, by the admission of fluid under pressure to t-he piston rod ends of the cylinders 44, 44 to trim the face, as indicated by steps 4 in FIGURE 2 and to bring the mining heads into position to again be advanced into the working face and carry out a new mining operation as indicated by dot dash lines in FIGURE 1.

During the mining operation, screw conveyors 55, suitably supported on the lmain frame 13 in advance thereof, are suitably driven, as by the direction changing shaft' of the conveyor 16 at the forward end thereof to progress the mined material inwardly toward the conveyor 16, to be loaded onto said conveyor as the machine advances into the working place. The screw conveyors 55 may be of a conventional form and are no part of the present invention, so need not herein be shown or described further.

It should here be understood that while the mining operation is herein described as starting at the floor at the center -of the working place, that it may start at the roof or may start along the ribs either at the lloor or ceiling and terminate at the ribs.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the invention may be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variations and modications in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mining machine comprising:

a mobile main frame,

a boom arm extending beyond the forward end of said main frame and supported on said main frame for movement about axes extending transversely and vertically of said main frame,

power means moving said boom arm vertically of said main frame,

other power means moving said boom arm laterally of said main frame,

cutter means extending in advance of said boom arm and rotatably supported thereon,

said cutter iiiens including two oppositely rotatably driven ripper cutter heads extending to opposite sides of said boom arm and mounted on said boom arm for rotation about horizontal axes extending at obtuse angles with respect to each other in plan and intersecting at said boom arm, whereby the mining head on the outer side of said boom arm mines perpendicular to the rib of the working place and the outer end of said mining head mines along the rib of the working place in parallel relation with respect thereto -when said boom arm is in one laterally extended position with respect to said main frame, and the inner mining head mines perpendicular to the rib of the working place and the outer end of said inner mining head is parallel to the rib of the working place when said boom arm is in an opposite position of lateral movement thereof.

2. A continuous mining machine comprising:

a mobile main frame,

a conveyor extending along said main frame from a position adjacent the ground in advance of the forward end thereof,

a boom transversely pivoted to said main frame on opposite sides of said conveyor and extending forwardly of said main frame to a position adjacent the receiving end of said conveyor,

a boom arm extending in advance of said boom and pivoted to said boom for movement about an axis perpendicular to the transverse pivotal axis of said boom,

means supporting and guiding said boom arm for movement along the forward end of said boom,

elevating means for raising and lowering said boom and boom arm by power,

other means for moving said boom arm laterally of said boom,

cutter means supported on the forward end of said boom for rotation about horizontal axes and including a rotatably driven cutter drum on each side of said boom arm having rows of cutter bits projecting therefrom and pitched to cut clearance for said cutter drum and to cut along the outer end of said drum,

the horizontal axes of rotation of said cutter drums being at obtuse angles with respect to each other and intersecting at the longitudinal axis of said boom arm,

whereby a cutter drum on one side of said boom arm is positioned to cut parallel to the face and rib of the working place in one extreme lateral position of said boom arm and the cutter drum on the opposite side of said boom arm is positioned to cut parallel to the face and rib of the working place in another extreme position of said boom arm, and means rotatably driving said cutter drums in opposite directions.

3. A continuous mining machine comprising:

a mobile main frame,

a pair of boom arms supported at opposite sides of said main frame and extending beyond the forward end of said main frame,

means mounting said boom arms on said main frame for up and down movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said main frame and for lateral movement about generally upright pivotal axes,

cutter means mounted on the end of each boom arm and journalled on opposite sides of said boom arm for rotation about horizontal transverse axes,

power means for rotating said cutter means,

power means for moving said boom arms laterally of said main frame toward and from each other,

said cutter means on each boom arm including two cutter drums having Vrows of cutter bits projecting therefrom,

one cutter drum being supported on each side of an associated boom arm and the horizontal axes of rotation of said cutter drums being at obtuse angles with respect to each other,

whereby the outermost cutter drums are positioned to mine parallel to the ribs of the working face in the outermost positions of said boom arms `and the innermost cutter drums are positioned to mine parallel to the working face with their inner ends positioned parallel to each other in the opposite extreme positions of said boom arms.

4. A mining machine comprising:

a mobile main frame,

a boom transversely pivoted to said main frame and extending in advance thereof,

elevator means for raising and lowering said boom by power,

a pair of boom arms supported on said boom for movement about generally upright parallel axes disposed adjacent opposite sides of said boom and main frame,

means supporting said boom arms on said boom for movement across the forward end thereof,

power means connected with said boom arms for simultaneously moving said lboorn arms across the forward end of said boom toward and from each other,

cutter means mounted on the forward end of said boom arms in advance of the forward end of said boom for rotation about horizontal transversely extending axes,

said cutter means including two rotatably driven drums supported on each boom arm and extending to opposite sides thereof and having rows of cutter bits projecting therefrom,

the cutter bits on said drums on opposite sides of said lboom arms being pitched in opposite directions,

power means extending along said `boorn arms for driving said cutter means on opposite sides of said boom arms in opposite directions,

the axes of rotation of said cutter drums being disposed at obtuse angles with respect to each other and intersecting at the center of said boom arms and positioning the outermost cutter drums, with the ends of said cutter drums parallel to the ribs of the working place when said boom arms are in their outermost extended positions, and positioning the ends of the innermost cutter drums in parallel relation with respect to each other when said boom arms are in their inward extended positions.

5. A system of continuously mining coal and the like,

comprising the steps of z providing two sets of laterally and vertically movable ripper cutters, the cutters of each set including two cutter drums rotatably driven in opposite directions, advancing the two sets of rotating ripper cutters along the floor of the mine into the working face with the two sets of ripper cutters disposed adjacent each other, feeding the two sets of rotating ripper cutters vertically to the roof of the mine, then feeding the rotating sets of ripper cutters laterally along the roof of the mine away from each other to the ribs of the working place, and trimming the ribs in parallel relation with respect to each other, then lowering the two sets of ripper cutters, while rotating in the same direction as when mining upwardly from the floor to the roof of the mine, to the floor of the mine, and then feeding the two sets of ripper cutters along the floor of the mine towards each other to trim the previously mined working face and position the ripper cutters in position for a next succeeding mining operation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1892 Wantling et al 299-86 X 8/1956 Paget 299-64 X 7/1957 Joy 299-71 X 9/ 1961 Densmore 299-86 X 11/1964 Gonski 299-71 ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner. 

5. A SYSTEM OF CONTINUOUSLY MINING COAL AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PROVIDING TWO SETS OF LATERALLY AND VERTICALLY MOVABLE RIPPER CUTTERS, THE CUTTERS OF EACH SET INCLUDING TWO CUTTER DRUMS ROTATABLY DRIVEN IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, ADVANCING THE TWO SETS OF ROTATING RIPPER CUTTERS ALONG THE FLOOR OF THE MINE INTO THE WORKING FACE WITH THE TWO SETS OF RIPPER CUTTERS DISPOSED ADJACENT EACH OTHER, FEEDING THE TWO SETS OF ROTATING RIPPER CUTTERS VERTICALLY TO THE ROOF OF THE MINE, THEN FEEDING THE ROTATING SETS OF RIPPER CUTTERS LATERALLY ALONG THE ROOF OF THE MINE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER TO THE RIBS OF THE WORKING PLACE, AND TRIMMING THE RIBS IN PARALLEL RELATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, THEN LOWERING THE TWO SETS OF RIPPER CUTTERS, WHILE ROTATING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS WHEN MINING UPWARDLY FROM THE FLOOR TO THE ROOF OF THE MINE, TO THE FLOOR OF THE MINE, AND THEN FEEDING THE TWO SETS OF RIPPER CUTTERS ALONG THE FLOOR OF THE MINE TOWARDS EACH OTHER TO TRIM THE PREVIOUSLY MINED WORKING FACE AND POSITION THE RIPPER CUTTERS IN POSITION FOR A NEXT SUCCEEDING MINING OPERATION. 